How Do I Permanently Delete My Skype Account?

Introduction

Microsoft bought Skype years ago, so if you want to delete your Skype account, you’ll need to first head over to Microsoft.com.
WARNING: To delete your Skype account, you need to delete your entire Microsoft account and associated products. So, consider your choice carefully. We'll explain the process and your options.

What You'll Need

You'll need a phone, tablet, laptop, or PC with an active internet connection and the username and password for your Microsoft account.

Sign in to Microsoft

If you want to delete your Skype account, you’ll first need to head over to Microsoft.com. Look for the SIGN IN link and click it. Fill in your email or phone number and hit next. Then type in your password and hit NEXT again.

Find Your Skype Account

Skype is not featured on the menu, so click on the ALL MICROSOFT link. This will open up a menu of options. Under Software, you’ll find SKYPE at the bottom. Click there.

Consider Installing Microsoft Teams as a Replacement for Skupe

As Microsoft has phased out promotion of Skype in favor of its Teams app, this will take you to the Teams page where you can download the Teams app as a replacement if you want. At the bottom of the page, look for the DOWNLOAD THE TEAMS APP button.

Delete Your Skype (and Microsoft) Account

To permanently delete your Skype account, go here: https://account.live.com/closeaccount.aspx

You may be prompted to log in again. Once authenticated, you’ll see this ominous warning, and for good reason. You can’t permanently delete your Skype account without also deleting your Microsoft account and subscriptions or Microsoft products linked to your account. You’ll also lose any remaining Skype credits you may have, your contacts, and chat history.

Review the Warnings

Read the warning carefully, especially the one about Reset Protection for any Windows devices you have turned it on. If you don’t turn off Reset Protection on your Windows devices, they could become unusable after you close your account.

Choose Your Protection Period

You’ll also need to select your “protection period.” Microsoft keeps your account open for either 30 or 60 days before permanently closing your account. It's set to 60 days, but you can click the down arrow and select 30 if you perfer.

Finalize Your Account Deletion

To finalize, click NEXT and confirm. After your selected protection period, your account and all associated data will be permanently deleted. Once deleted, this process cannot be undone.

Conclusion

Reminder: When you delete Skype, you’ll lose access to Outlook, OneDrive, Xbox, and other Microsoft services. Unless you want to delete your entire Microsoft account, a better option may be just to stop using Skype altogether. You can also delete the Skype app from your phone or PC without impacting your Microsoft account, or switch to Microsoft Teams instead.